Bicycle



(No Model.)

BICYCLE.

Patented May 4, 1886.

IlNrTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JO'HhT I'I. HEALEY, OF VOLUNTOIVN, CONNECTICUT.

BICYCLE.

QBPEFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 341,237, dated May4,1886.

Appliration iiled January 1l, 1886. Serial No. 1SS.19I.

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JOHN H. HEALEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Voluntown, in the county of New London and State ofConnecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inBicycles, which improvements are fully set forth and described inthefollowing specification, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, in which- Figure 1 is a front elevation showing myimprovements properly combined. In said figure I have shown only suchportions of a bicycle of ordinary construction as are necessary toexplain said improvements, and have cut away the wheelvhuos to expose mynewlyadded niechanism. Fig. `2 shows, considerably enlarged, those partsof 1 which are embraced by line a; x. Fig. 3 is an inner face view ofthe sprocket-wheel 7, and isintended to illustrate the movable part ofthe`cluteh which I- make use of,'as hereinafter fully described.

My improvements relate to bicycles as now colnmonly constructed, myimmediate object being to connect with such bicycles certaincombinations of mechanisms by means of which greater speed may beattained on level ground, when desired, also greater leverage may beobtained for climbing` steep grades, these mechanisms being under thecomplete control ofthe rider and adapted to be used or not, as he mayelect.

It has been my purpose to so shape and combine the elements which I haveadded that they may be attached to bicycles of the common type now inuse without causing any radical changes to be made in such bicycles, thegreatest change being in the shape of the hub of the driving-wheel. Thishub [have so shaped that it may partially inclose and protect theseveral parts of my newdevice.

-teferring to the drawings, Fig. 1 represents the so-called fork7 of abicycle-frame, having secured to its upper portion a steering head andhandles, all of the usual construction. Pivoted in the depending freeendsfof said fork are journal-bearings 3, in which the axial shaft lrotates, said shaft being provided with cranks and pedals, the latternot being shown here.

(No model.)

The devices by means of which I attain at will a slow or rapid motionare located one on each side of thehub 5 of thedriving-wheel, and assuch devices are substantially alike I will describe but one in detail.Y

Secured iixedlyin fork I, above the journalbearing 3, is a stud, 6, onwhich are rotatably located two sprocket-wheels, 7 and 8, of dit'-ferent diameters. Immediately below wheels 7 and 8 are similarsprocket-wheels, 910, connected with those first referred to by endlesschains 11 12.

Referring to the lnechanism at the lefthand side ot' Fig. 1, wheel 9 issecured by spline or set-screw to axle 4, and wheel l() is secured tothe hub 5, which is looselyiitted on said axle.

XVheel 9 is small and corresponds in size with the inner wheel, S, onstud 6.

The hub-wheel 10 is preferably of the same diameter as the wheel 7.

Assuming that the chains 1 l 12 are properly connected, as shown, itwill now be understood that if the upper sprocket-wheels, 7 8, beconnected t-o each other rotary movement of axle 4t will impart a verymuch slower movement io the hub 5 and its wheel than if said hub wereconnected directly with said aXle and simply operated by the cranks, asheretofore. This system of chains and sprocketwheels necessitates aquicker movement of the feet to keep up the speed, but also materiallyreduces the weight of pressure that must be exerted by therider inascending steep grades, the quick motion of the feet and legs heiligunobjectionable,for the reason that it is kept u p but a Vfew minutes ata time.

To provide a simple but strong clutch by which to connect the uppersprocket-wheels, when desired, I have formed the confronting side ofwheel 8 with radial V-shaped grooves 13, and have located in wheel 7 astud, 14, oval or angular in ciosssection, to prevent its rotating, andon the end which confront-s the grooves 13 have formed a segmental head,15, having radial ribs adapted to interlock with said grooves to causewheels 7 and 8 to rotate together.

It will now be evident that a means must be provided whereby the clutchdescribed may be thrown in and out of engagement by the rider. This Iaccomplish by .securing to the inner side of fork I a spring, 1G, whosefree end carries a plate or washer, 17, located adjacent to the outerface of wheel 7, as shown, the spring acting ordinarily to hold theplate 5 away from said wheel. This plate is forced inward, preferably bya wedge, 18, attached to rod 19, reaching upward to the head of themachine, being connected there with a lever, 20, secured to said headand adapted to be io moved downward to actuate the wedge 1S.

Rod 19 passes downward within the arm of the fork, being thus protectedfrom injury, and also concealed from view. The opposite system (ofsprocket wheels and chains) is the I5 same in principle as that justdescribed, and

is operated in the same manner; but the positions of the large and smallwheels relative to the other mechanism is transposed, so that the lowerlarge wheel is fast on the axle 4 and the 2o small wheel secured to thehub 5. By this arrangement rotary motion imparted to axle 4 is increasedin hub 5 according to the relative diameters of the sprocket-wheelsforming the train. The normal or medium of speed is at- 25 tained byconnecting wheels 9 and 10', which is done by means ofia clutch, 23, andoperating wedge or cam 24, indentical with those above described; but itshould be understood that when so used both of the upper clutches 3o arethrown out of engagement. Thus it will be seen that the rider has underhis immediate control three lever-handles, as follows: 20, for operatingthe power mechanism for use on steep. grades; 2l, for speed on levelground, and 22, for the medium or normal speed.

vVhen it becomes necessary to ascend a steep grade, lever 22 is raisedto disengage wheels 9 and 10, and lever 20 is forced downward to operatethe connecting-clutch of wheels 7 and 4o S. After having passed theupgrade levers 22 and 2O may be respectively opened Vand closed toreturn to the medium of leverage. When unusually great speed is desired,lever 22 is raised and lever 21 forced downward, thus throwing intoworking engagement the speed- 4 multiplying train, as shown at theright-hand side of Fig. 1. W'hen moving rapidly downgrade, all three ofthe clutches may be thrown out of engagement, in which case the cranksand axle are at rest until one of the clutches 5 is again brought intouse.

The cost of making and applying my improvements is small when comparedwith the great range of speed and power thereby secured. 5

Having thus described my invention, I

claim-4 1. In combination with the fork, axle, and hub of a bicycle,mechanism for increasing the speed, consisting of a train of sprocketwheels 6 and chains arranged and connected as described, and clutchmechanism, substantially as described, for operating the same, mechanismfor decreasing the speed, consisting of a train of sprocket wheels andchains arranged 6 and connected as described, and clutch mechanism,substantially as described, for operating the same, and independentclutch mechanism, substantially as shown and described, by means ofwhich the crank-aXle and hub 7 maybe connected at will to produce anintermediate or normal speed.

2. In combination with the fork and axle of a bicycle, a hub rotatablyfixed on said axle, a disk securely fixed to said hub, as described, 7 aelutclrdisk of the form described, rotatably located on said aXleadjacent to said hub-disk, and clutch mechanism, substantially as hereindescribed, for connecting and disconnecting said hub-disk andclutch-disk, for the object S specified.

.JOHN H. HEALEY.

Vitiiesses:

FRANK H. ALLEN, TYLER J. HOWARD.

